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EDUCATION 069 IS UNIVERSITY Diary Date
This summer the Broadwater Down Primary School PTA presents their fi rst Family Music Festival – Broadwater Rocks! The event, which takes place on Saturday 29th June from 4pm- 8pm at the school (TN2 5RP), promises to be a great family occasion and the perfect festival experience for little ones and adults alike! • Tickets are £7 if pre-booked or £8 on the day, children go free. For more information, visit
broadwaterrocks.co.uk
ELITIST? It seems the tide has turned regarding the acceptance of higher numbers of state pupils at Oxbridge. In fact, parents of privately educated pupils are alleging that their children are now at a disadvantage, claiming to be victims of social engineering and positive discrimination. In recent years, the numbers of British school leavers who have been offered a place at Cambridge, for example, are weighted more heavily on the state-school side. While certain leading academics have suggested that the present-day criticism of private schools is as unacceptable as anti-semitic abuse, privately-educated students are now often accused of gaining undeserved privileges such as being awarded top jobs and positions of power. University admission processes now include consideration of factors such as family background, ethnicity, gender and the type of school that pupils attend. And whilst this has value for all the right reasons, the key to perceived and actual waves of public opinion lies in viewing people as individuals rather than members of stereotype groups. Some feel that the university entry considerations have gone too far and the system would be fairer if no details other than exam results were revealed during the application process.
TOO YOUNG TO TEST? There are few people who are in favour of the plans to introduce reception baseline assessment, which will test very small people in their English and maths skills. Objectors, including parents, teachers, MPs and campaigners, delivered a petition containing more than 65,000 signatures to Downing Street earlier in the year. They oppose the plans for tests on four-year-olds in their fi rst term of school. The standardised tests are due to come into force from 2020, and will apply to reception pupils but also those in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6. According to many experts and parents alike, the current assessment system isn’t working. It has been blamed for creating high stress levels within pupils and teachers, it is perceived to have caused a narrowing of the curriculum, leading to pupils missing out on a broader education, and it might lead some pupils to experience low self-esteem as they feel like failures. There is currently an “indicative ballot” taking place within the National Education Union, asking members if they agree with the campaign against SATS and high-stakes testing. It is also asking whether they would be prepared to boycott the tests.
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